2024 Golf Season: The Year the Game Grew Up (And Surprised Us All)
After 35 years covering this game, I’ve learned that the best golf seasons aren’t necessarily the ones with the cleanest storylines—they’re the ones that challenge what we thought we knew. And 2024? This has been one of those years.
Let me be clear: what we’ve witnessed this year, from Paris to Augusta to Pinehurst, represents something genuinely significant for professional golf. Not just commercially—though that matters—but culturally. The sport is reaching people and places it never quite touched before, and the competitive landscape is being redrawn in real time.
The Olympic Moment Changed Something
I’ll admit, I was skeptical about golf in the Olympics when it returned in 2016. I remember thinking it was a curiosity, a novelty that might not stick. But Paris 2024 felt different. For the first time, we had Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy taking it seriously, treating it like a major. That’s not a small thing.
“This was the first Olympics where top-ranking players like Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy accepted to participate.”
In my experience, when the game’s elite players commit to an event, it legitimizes it instantly. And having Scottie Scheffler capture gold for the U.S.? That’s the kind of narrative casual sports fans understand and respect. Scheffler’s been the story of professional golf for the past two years, and Paris reinforced that he’s not a flash in the pan—he’s the real deal.
What strikes me most, though, is what didn’t happen. Xander Schauffele, ranked third in the world going in, left Paris without a medal. That kind of upset used to be shocking. In 2024, it’s becoming part of the pattern. The field is tighter than it’s ever been. The margin between the third-best player and someone having an off week is razor thin.
For women’s golf, Lydia Ko’s gold medal performance was equally significant, though it received less coverage. That’s something the sport needs to work on, but I digress.
The Masters: A Changing of the Guard Moment
Scottie Scheffler’s Masters victory in April was dominant but unsurprising. What caught my eye was what happened behind him. Ludvig Aberg’s second-place finish in his Masters debut deserves more analysis than it’s getting. In 30-plus years of watching Augusta, I’ve seen plenty of first-timers come and go. Few arrive with Aberg’s poise.
“Ludvig Aberg, who was making his first Masters appearance, made an impression by finishing second. Also, this was his first major championship.”
Here’s what the casual fan might miss: that second-place finish signals that we’re not in a one-man show anymore. Scheffler is the best player in the world—no argument. But the next tier of talent is deeper and hungrier than we’ve seen in a decade. When a 24-year-old Swede can walk into Augusta and nearly win in his first try, something has shifted in professional golf’s power structure.
Tommy Fleetwood rounding out the top three is also telling. The man won Olympic silver and finished third at the Masters. That’s the trajectory of a player peaking at exactly the right time, with momentum heading into the summer.
Bryson’s U.S. Open: Drama Where We Need It
Now, let’s talk about Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst. The $21.5 million purse at the U.S. Open is the highest of the year, and it attracted the strongest field. DeChambeau’s victory, his second U.S. Open title, came with genuine drama. Rory McIlroy, playing for his first major in over a decade, was in the hunt. The narrative was there.
“His win in the 1,000th USGA championship came from a sand save. This disappointed Rory McIlroy, who aimed to clinch his first-ever major title in over a decade.”
What interests me most isn’t that Bryson won—it’s how he’s won. The guy has completely reinvented himself over the past two seasons. He committed to what he believed in (equipment, training, the whole thing) and made it stick. In an era where we’re often cynical about player transformations, Bryson’s turnaround feels earned.
But let’s not gloss over the McIlroy element here. It’s now been 10 years since his last major. That’s a long drought for a generational talent. What should concern us—and I mean this constructively—is whether his window is closing. He’s still elite, but at some point, the missed opportunities add up psychologically.
What This All Means
The 2024 season tells me three things: First, Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world by a considerable margin, but it’s not a coronation—it’s a dynasty being built in real time. Second, the next generation (Aberg, younger players coming up) is better prepared and more competitive than previous rising classes. Third, we’re in a moment where narrative still matters enormously in golf.
The sport needed drama, surprise, and star power in 2024. It got all three. That’s not luck—that’s a sign of a healthy competitive ecosystem.
Golf fans should be excited about what’s ahead. The 2024 season has proven one thing definitively: this game isn’t getting stale. Not even close.
